Bryan and Terri Curry | Texas TLC Goldens

New Puppy Advice

So you’ve got a beautiful new Golden Retriever Puppy; now what? A Golden Retriever puppy is a commitment for the life of the dog that may last 14 years but you need to start off right. Your new fur-baby has instincts, yes, but all other things must be trained. Your puppy relies on you for everything. Food, Water, vaccinations, love, healthcare and training are all provided by you. It sounds daunting but it’s really not as long as you accept the challenge and enjoy your loving new addition to the family. You should start by reading general information on Golden Retrievers in my “Caring For Golden Retrievers” page.

Vaccinations

Your puppy should come to you with her first round of vaccinations. Typically vaccinations are given at 4 to 8 weeks then again at 12 weeks and finally at 16 weeks. Your vet may have a slightly different schedule so work with them but vaccinate you MUST. Only the rabies vaccine is required by Texas law but all recommended vaccines should be given. They prevent things like rabies, parvo, canine influenza and much more. At Texas TLC Goldens we require all new puppy parents agree in writing to keep vaccines up-to-date for the live of the dog; it’s just that important.

In the southern United States you should pay special attention to parvo. The parvovirus is more common on warmer states but can be found in all 50 states. The disease is very contagious and the effects are debilitating at best and often results in death.

The vaccinations for parvo require a series of three shots in a new puppy and again annually for life to remain protected. That said, your new fur-baby will not be fully vaccinated against parvo until his final round of shots. From a new puppy perspective this means that you must work hard to prevent exposure to this easily transmitted disease until the entire series of vaccinations are complete. Until that happens you should keep your puppy away from anywhere that unknown dogs have been.

Until fully vaccinated, dog parks should be completely avoided and contact with dogs that you are not SURE are vaccinated is unwise. Avoid roadside rest areas, truck stops, airport pet relief areas and any place unknown dogs have likely been. Places that wild dogs may have been are dangerous as wild dogs are the most common carriers. If you take your new puppy to retail establishments (which is really good for their socialization), we suggest putting them in the shopping basket rather than the floor.

Enough about parvo for now. Read about it and know that in domestic dogs it’s not all that common but it absolutely does happen and can be deadly. The challenge is that even though it is relatively rate, it’s so contagious and deadly that you cannot afford to take chances. Breeders are especially cautious since puppies are by definition un-vaccinated and one infection in the litter can wipe out the litter and or be extremely expensive and require extensive disinfecting cleanup to prevent future infections.

Feeding

Puppies need different food than adults. With adults you need high protein but balanced food. For puppies, too much protien can make them grow to quickly and possibly cause skeletal or joint problems. A higher percentage of carbohydrates is desired to provide needed energy and a different mix of other ingredients to balance out what a growing puppy needs is also needed. Also be sure to get “large breed” puppy food as Goldens need different food from smaller dogs. Puppies should continue to have puppy food until at least 12 months old, 18 months may be better.

If you feed on a schedule, you should feed puppies at least 3 times per day. They have small stomachs and cannot eat all that much in a single sitting so more frequent feeding is called for. If you free feed as we’ve historically done, just keep an eye on the volume consumed and watch their weight.

Be sure to select a really good quality food. We recommend kibble, not wet as kibble is MUCH better for their teeth. We also foods from major manufacturers that have scientific labs and publish statistics and testing. After much research, we chose Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Adult Savor for our adults and Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy Focus for our puppies. Purina is the largest pet manufacturer out there and has extensive published testing. (no we were not paid for this plug) There are higher rated foods but they tend to be exponentially more expensive. We found our chosen foods to be of really good quality and a great mix of ingredients and cost effective. Note that even Purina ahs has less desirable foods (Dog Chow and anything “Grain Free” for example) so do your own research and get really good cost/effective food from a reputable manufacturer based on research, not cool commercials. We do not recommend “raw food” diets (a current fad) as they don’t consistently contain the proper mix of nutrients and run a very real risk of poisoning your fur-baby.

Puppies should have access to good clean water at all times when awake. It’s OK to put the water up at bed time but be sure to put it back down for them first thing when you wake up and keep it fresh.

Socialize!!

Properly socializing your Golden Retriever can be the difference in a well adjusted dog and a dog that is afraid of everything. Socialization is exposing your puppy to as many new sounds, textures, smells, people, dogs, cats, horses, cattle, cars, trucks, riding in cars, shopping carts and everything else in our environment as much as possible. As dogs age, new things can make them fearful if they don’t know what they are or have never experienced them. The absolute best time to get most socialization done is well before 6 months old. It can be done at most any age but they are much more impressionable and fearless when young.

For more details, read my article Socializing Your Puppy.

Puppy Training Basics

Training is the most often neglected part of new puppy ownership, the lack of which is one of the highest contributors to dissatisfaction with pets. I recommend attending at least two series’ of obedience classes with your puppy starting at around 4 to 6 months of age but don’t wait for the classes to start on your own. Training does not need to be difficult but it does need to be consistent and it’s pretty much never too early to start. We at Texas TLC Goldens will begin basic potty training starting at 3 or 4 weeks old. At that age it takes more to get solid behavior but we’ll give you a little head start.

Important: NEVER hit your dog and try you best to never yell at them. Golden Retrievers are emotional dogs and are very treat / praise motivated. Using negative techniques are counter productive at best and can make them shut down at worst. Reward them for good behavior and do that consistently to achieve the best results.

You can train basic things with little or no extra work if you are consistent. Just remember to use a key word (like “yes”) or a clicker from the very beginning to signify they did something right and reward them EVERY time they do something good at least with praise and often with healthy treats. Also be aware that puppies under 6 months old have the attention span of a gnat (not really but it will seem like it). Keep your training sessions frequent but short (like maybe 5 minutes each) at first and slowly expand the times as they age and show more maturity.

Potty Training

Potty Training / House Training is probably the single most important thing you can train you dog to do. This is so important I wrote an entire article on it. Essentially ANY dog can be trained to go outside to do their business so don’t let impatience and frustration get the better of you. Read “Potty Training Your Puppy” and get started with consistent training on day one!

Sit

Every time they sit, reward them and use the word sit in the praise.

Golden Retriever — Harley and River around 3 months old

Every time the sit when you asked them to sit, reward them more. Puppies don’t have the attention span to sit for long but sit they will and just reward them every time.

At first it matters little if they sit on their own, if they do it reward them WHILE sitting. You can add the command as you go. Every time you decide to love on your puppy, make then sit first. Praise and loving should be a reward and not just expected behavior.

Leash Training

You REALLY want to get this down pat and EARLY. As Golden Retrievers grow they become quite strong and will pull you like a mule if you let them. Start when they are young and very treat motivated. Put a lightweight leash on them and make them sit on your left side. Let them have a treat then show them you have another and make them watch the treat saying “Watch me”. Now say a walk command like “walk” or “heal” or some other word of your choosing (but be consistent) then step off with your left foot. They will usually move with you as a puppy but keep them focused on the treat. If they start to pull, show them the treat and encourage them to stay on your left side. If they don’t cooperate, make them sit and start over. When you stop they should sit on your left side and then they can get the treat. do this every day, several times and you should see great results. Once they have it down pat, start weaning them off the treat by letting them smell the treat but not see it (keep it in your enclosed hand). The first few times you do this, give them the treat when they do things correctly. After that start only praising them more and more with no treat. Gradually make it more and more without the treat giving only praise. Eventually they will no longer require the treat.

The suggested training plan above is designed for young puppies as they are not yet big enough nor motivated enough to try and drag you. If your dog is more than a few months old and is already pulling, google leash training and use one of the many methods espoused on the web. They main things I’ll tell you about that situation is that you should NEVER allow your dog to pull you, learn how to deal with it and stop that behavior EVERY time. If you ever allow them to pull you and go where they want, you are TRAINING them to pull and risking damage to their throats. Additionally we are not fans of “training” collars of almost any kind. We use “martindale” collars that contract when pulled but we carefully size them so as not to choke when they pull tight. The nice thing about these collars is they can be loose and comfortable around the neck but when you need to restrain your pup, they contract small enough that they can’t slip it off their head. Remember also that you pup’s neck will grow. Use caution that their own growth does not cause their collar to choke them.

Stay

Stay is a little harder than sit but it’s a key skill. If you do not effectively train this skill your puppy will rush the door and get out and cause all sorts of other headaches in time. This skill is best trained with treats. Start by making them sit the tell them to stay and back up one step. If they stay, treat and praise them. If they break, reset and go again. Young puppies may not stay long but reward them for even a few seconds. As they get the idea, move further and further away from them and slowly expect them to stay longer. Ideally you should be able to make them stay for up to two minutes even if you are walking around them. This may take a while to achieve but it’s a goal you should set.

No Jumping!

Golden Retrievers can get wildly exuberant and will tend to jump up on people when they get excited. This is especially true if they have not seen you in a while and worse, they will try to do it to guests. Know that Golden Retrievers grow to 55-80 pounds and jumping on people can unintentionally hurt the some folks and is often irritating to others. Even if you like it, chances are others will not.

The best way to train this out of them coincides with “sit”. Train them that they NEVER get rewards and loving if they are not calm and sitting. Never indulge over excited behavior by encouraging it and loving on them. If you get excited and let them go crazy while you love on them, you are TRAINING them to act this way.

This training has the side benefit of reducing “Separation Anxiety” to some extent. If your fur-baby expects an exciting return where you are very excited to see them and get them all worked up, they will expect it every time you or anyone else walks in the door and stress if you don’t walk back in right away. If you walk in the door and they get excited, don’t make a big deal of it and calmly walk right past them and ignore them; pushing them down and use a command like “off” if they jump on you. When they calm down and you can make the sit and stay sitting, THEN you can love on them.

Conclusion

It is critical that you properly train your puppy and it’s never too early to start. Golden Retrievers WANT to please you but you need to train them with what makes you happy. It is always best to start when they are very young before they develop bad habits. Only use positive reinforcement for training, never negative. Start on the very fist day and so some amount of it every day afterwards. Be very consistent on the commands used and your treating/reward behavior. Training can often be done throughout the course of the day for many things without organized “training sessions” but when you do train them, keep the sessions short when they are young and expect short attention spans. The pup should EARN loving and/or treats (with something as simple as sitting if nothing else). Never give a treat without a successful action, ever.

About the Authors

Bryan and Terri Curry love all dogs in general, especially Golden Retrievers. They have had dogs for all but 6 months of their long lives and all have lived happy and much longer than average. Bryan and Terri are co-owners of Texas TLC Goldens; a small responsible breeder producing high quality Golden Retriever puppies.

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Why Dogs Eat Grass

Image result for eat grass If you have had dogs for a while, you have almost certainly observed them eating grass at one time or another. Many of the popular reasons for this are essentially urban legend but there are tons of opinions out there, many from people that might actually know what they are talking about so they are difficult to ignore for most people. I’ve tried to list a few of the popular reasons people believe they do it and explained the thought behind it and end the article with actual science.

Dogs are NOT carnivores

Well… not completely. Unlike cats, dogs are omnivores meaning they eat meat AND plants but they tend to lean towards meat and protein. This is the reason that all properly formulated dog foods will contain carbs and plant material. It is also one of the reasons that custom made or boutique diets of nearly pure protein are a bad thing.

It is believed by some that our dog’s ancestors ate the ENTIRE carcass of their kills including the stomachs and the prey were mostly herbivores meaning those stomachs were full of grass and other greens. They posit that this practice rounded out the diet. Modern wild dogs have often been observed eating fruits, berries and grass.

It’s also been observed that when some dogs that eat a lot of grass and then have their diet changed to higher fiber mixes stop eating grass.

Some have suggested that dogs eat grass to settle their stomach or treat worms or improve digestion. Again, none of this is proven (well.. except maybe the worm thing – read on) and is most all educated speculation but some of it seems logical to some extent.

Given these observations, some think it is reasonable to believe your dog just wants to balance out their diet.

They eat to throw up or because they are sick

This idea seems very popular for some reason but has not been anything close to proven. WebMD says that less than 25% of dogs that eat grass ever throw up from it. They further say that owners report less than 10% of dogs who eat grass seem sick before they do it.

More likely, the dog throws up because the grass they are eating is not properly chewed and gets stuck in and/or tickles their throats and throwing up is just an instinctive reaction.

The dog is bored

This idea actually has a little merit in many cases. Dogs put things in their mouths, it’s what they do. If they get bored, they chew on things and eat. Some people have observed that if their dog is eat grass, then does a lot of exercise like chasing balls or Frisbee, they stop eating grass.

There actually was one scientific study done on the subject

Stanley Coren with Psychology Today found an actual study performed that included quite a lot of actual science.

The research was conducted at the University of California, Davis, by Karen Sueda, Benjamin Hart and Kelly Cliff and published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science

I’ve not read the actual study but Dr Coren summarized the study by saying that most all of the popular reasons I’ve listed above were completely “debunked”. In essence, domestic dogs do not eat grass because they are sick, or have an upset stomach or to balance out their diet. While the study did not find a provable reason for the behavior, their best guess is that it is done to help clean out parasites from the digestive track in wild dogs. They further speculate that domestic dogs do it out of instinct handed down from their ancestors even though domestic dogs are typically much less affected by parasites due to modern medical care and food sources.

While this explanation is the one I tend to believe, it is also possible that domestic dogs just like to eat grass.

Is eating grass harmful to dogs?

Usually not but WebMD has this to say on the subject:

Although most experts agree that grazing itself isn’t harmful, one thing to keep in mind is that certain herbicides and pesticides used on lawns can be quite toxic, especially if ingested. Additionally, a number of common house and garden plants are toxic, which could lead to problems if your dog munches on them along with the lawn.

Remember that while you may know what toxic chemicals may be on YOUR grass, how do you know about other places? Err on the side or caution and know what your dog is eating.

That last bit about toxic plants is important for you to know about.

Did you know that Aloe plants many flowers and Sago Palms are toxic to dogs? There are many different plants that are bad for them.

Azaleas

A good reference for toxic plants can be found on the ASPCA website.

Summary

While there are many theories and urban legends about why dogs eat grass, the only scientific study I could find referenced seemed to debunk most all of them and suggested domestic dogs just eat grass out of ancestral instinct. It is also possible that the dogs just like grass. Chemicals on the grass could be dangerous for your dog and some plants are just toxic so know what your dog is eating.

About the Author

Bryan Curry loves all dogs in general, especially Golden Retrievers. He has had dogs for all but 6 months of his long life and all have lived happy and much longer than average lives. Bryan and his wife Terri are co-owners of Texas TLC Goldens; a small responsible breeder producing high quality Golden Retriever puppies.

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The Importance of Fenced Yards for Dogs

I like many people, believed for years that fences were only important to keep your dog contained. While this is true, it is not the only good reason to make sure your fur baby has a secure fence. Terri and I have in fact been successful with no fence before (Harley and River‘s first 2 years of life for example) but it is hard, risky and requires a LOT of attention and work to keep your pup safe. In the article below I’ll attempt to line out the risks involved that I am aware of with not having a good fence and maybe a few things you can do to mitigate the risk.

To be clear, people have been successfully raising dogs without fences longer than America has existed. It absolutely can be done but there are risks and you should be fully aware of those risks and be prepared to mitigate those risks. Having a fence is probably the single most effective physical thing you can do for your dog(s) to keep them safe.

As always, this article is based on our extensive personal experiences and research. You should also do your own research and/or consult your veterinarian before reaching any final conclusions.

Keeping them contained

Yes, keeping your dog contained is the primary reason for having a fence. It can keep them out of the dangerous streets and prevent them from becoming irritants to the neighbors. In general dogs (especially Golden Retrievers) LOVE to play and run. When they play and run, they have no concept of danger from the road or property boundaries. This especially troubling for hunting and shepherd breeds since when they get a scent or see something that looks like it should be chased, they often focus on that to the exclusion of all else and potentially run for miles. Even Golden Retrievers are prone to this. Our Harley loved chasing deer before we built our 5′ non-climbable wire fence in our immediate back yard. Our local deer know her and are in fact playing with her but it becomes dangerous as she is FAST and could get off the property or injure herself in the forest. In our case, we are on the back side of almost 3 acres of heavily wooded land so the road is a bit of a hike but she’s fast enough to do it.

If something happens (fireworks for example) that panics your dog, they can run for miles in a wide-eyed panic. Boundaries can to some extent be trained but even then, they will often forget in the heat of the moment. A properly sized and secure fence (see below) is the best deterrent to these issues.

Wild and Other Animals

Do you live in a suburb or city and think you don’t have to worry about wild animals? Think again. Deer, Coyotes and other wild animals are feeling the pressure of human expansion and encroaching more and more into suburban and urban areas. Feral dogs (domestic dogs gone wild) will join up in packs and pose some scary risks – scarier even than coyotes in some cases. In our case, we live in the country and have massive amounts of deer and other wild animals. Your neighbor’s pets may even pose a risk since you really don’t know in most cases if they are all vaccinated or prone to attack other animals.

Other animals pose several risks. They are often carriers of dangerous parasites and deadly diseases that can be transferred to or infect your dog.

Aside for the physical risk of meat eating wild animals, allowing a coyote (for example) to even walk through your yard poses a very real risk of infecting your not-yet-fully-vaccinated puppy with the deadly Parvo virus for example.

Those beautiful and seemingly harmless deer are covered in fleas and ticks and are commonly carriers of Giardia and other parasites which they leave behind (pun intended) in their scat (puppies LOVE eating deer scat). In the fall when deer are in “Rut”, bucks get aggressive at times and their antlers are weapons at that point. In the spring when doe’s have babies, they are very defensive of their children and their hooves can be deadly.

Neighborhood or feral dogs pose both physical and infectious / parasite risk (although the infections are the biggest risk to not-yet-fully-vaccinated puppies). Image result for images dog chase deer Wild animals can lure your dog on a chase that takes them to dangerous places or make them become hopelessly lost. Deer are notorious for this. They may be running out of fear or actually playing with your pup but the effect is the same.

Wild dogs are VERY often infected with the venereal disease called Brucelosis. While sex is the primary transmitter, it can also be transferred by urine or simply sniffing the privates of an infected dog or drinking water tainted with infected urine or postpartum fluid secreted by infected females.

One last issue (and yes this has happened to us): Wild animals are not selective where they die.

If a deer (for example) dies somewhere within a mile or so of your home, you dog will know it after they begin to decay. Almost all dogs are drawn to animal corpses and will go chew on them, maybe even eat them. This is expected behavior, not a sign of a behavioral problem in your dog. It is your job to prevent it happening. Those corpses are nasty, rotten, covered in all kinds of bad things and your dog will likely bring back trophies. Fences prevent this entirely as long as the wild animal did not jump into your yard before passing.

These are but a few examples; use your imagination and do research but unknown animals around your pups are a very real risk.

Fences are Convenient

Most dogs need exercise; especially active working breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and Border Collies. If you do not have a safe back yard for them to run an play in, you will need to jog or bike with them on a very regular basis or take them to dog parks after they are fully vaccinated. It’s much simpler to have a back yard to let them run and play in. Even playing fetch is much safer with a fence.

Potty training is much easier with a proper fenced yard of your own. Your puppy will need to go outside a LOT during training and using a leash to “walk” them takes longer to train than just letting them go out back. It is much less likely that your yard is infected with parasites and disease than anywhere else.

A word of caution here: If you just moved into an existing home with a fenced yard, make sure you know who the previous owners were or if they had dogs. Parasites and Parvo can stay troublesome in the soil for a very long time. It is possible to treat the ground but it often kills the grass so do your research.

So What is a Secure and Proper Fence?

This bit will concentrate on effectiveness, not your personal preferences. There are many fencing materials to choose from that may affect the visual effect on your property. I will not discuss that here and those things are a personal choice and beyond the scope of what I’m trying to communicate.

The specific fence you choose will depend on many factors some of which include:

Dog breed and size
Dog attitude
Neighborhood restrictions
Budget
Prevalence of wild animals

Height

The height of your fence is very important but specific requirements will vary. Note that the height of your fence is not just to keep your dog in but also to keep other animals out. Coyote, deer and large feral dogs can easily jump over a 4′ fence for example. If your desires included keeping out wild animals, go with a 5′ to 6′ fence. 5′ will keep most canine species out and 6′ will keep almost all of them out. Either of these will discourage deer (use 8′ if you want to keep ALL deer out). Keep this in mind as you evaluate your specific circumstances.

Climbing Dog — Dog climbing hurricane fence enclosure

Try to use some form of “non-climb” fence as the most common way for pups to get over a fence is jumping part of the way a literally climbing the rest of the way. Wooden fences are very hard to climb but it can be done if they can hook their paws in the “dog-eared” tops of the fence. Hurricane fence is not all that hard to climb since the layout of the wire gives convenient footholds for the pooch. Wire mesh “non-climb” fences have openings that are narrow and tall. this configuration is hard for most breeds to negotiate since the taller opening makes it very hard to get the “next” step up.

Small breeds are the easiest to fence in. If you have a small breed like a small poodle and live in an urban area, a 4′ fence may do what you need. Remember though that smaller breeds fit through smaller holes or can dig out easier and a 4′ fence is easy for wild animals and feral dogs to get over.

If you have a larger breed like a Golden Retriever or any mid sized jumping breed like a Border Collie, consider 5′. If your dog is really active and loves jumping a lot, you may need 6′. Our German Shepherd mix Gandalf that we had fenced for over half his life could get over a 6′ wooden fence when he was younger and really motivated so taller is better.

Secure

A tall fence means little if it has holes or loose fence slats, easy to dig under or is made of wood and your dog is very motivated to chew. Our Aussie mix Lexi for example suffered from separation anxiety and chewed her way through a wooden fence several times during her long 17.6 year life.

Holes and loose or missing slats are easy to remedy: FIX THEM. Be sure to check your gates as well as they tend to be the places where gaps occur most often. Be sure to also look for gaps at the bottom of the fence or gate that your pup could squeeze through.

If your dog suffered from a high level of separation anxiety and/or is an extreme chewer, consider a hurricane or non-climbable mesh fence to prevent chewing their way out. If you have an existing wood fence you can line the lower parts with thicker wood. You can also put up an electrified wire down low (be sure to use one that is dog safe). We did this for Lexi since she was so very persistent and it was very effective. Even when it was powered off, our dogs avoided the fence. Be warned that these wires require maintenance and can be rendered ineffective by tall grass and weeds.

If your fence is easy to dig under there are a few things you can do. You could line the problem areas with large rocks (5 – 10lbs) Image result for images dog dig under fence This can be decorative and if the dog tries to dig under the rocks, they simply fall down into the hole they dig. You could also try a or a xeriscape border of medium sized rocks (rocks big enough to be hard for your dog to move), bricks or pavers. It’s also possible to bury 2×10 treated boards in problem areas as dogs seldom dig further than 10″ deep to tunnel out. This can hide your efforts and be more attractive since they would be mostly underground but requires a LOT more work than rocks to install and over the years will rot. The electric fence wire referenced above will often work as well if you keep the wire low enough.

Afterword

We at Texas TLC Goldens do not (as of this writing) refuse to sell our puppies to families that do not have a fence. We allow it because we have personally been successful in the past doing it but recognize that it requires careful, constant and fully informed effort to keep the pups safe; it is not easy. We expect any applicant to describe in detail how they will handle their pups without a fence and encourage ALL of our puppy parents to get a home with a fence and/or build one as soon as humanly possible. Another temporary solution for puppies if you have a yard but no fence is to put up a temporary fenced enclosure (dog run) that you know is clean and healthy for them to eliminate in. If after a few litters we have too many bad experiences with puppy parents without fences, we may change the policy but for now we are trying it; hopefully this article will help.

About the Authors

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Fixed waiting list and other tables for mobile users

Much to my embarrassment I just discovered that viewing the waiting list and other tables on mobile devices was almost unusable (Thanks for the heads up Michelle). This was especially troublesome since around 65% of our website visitors use phones and tablets.

I have corrected this with a new “responsive” tables plugin and your experience should be MUCH better now. There is only so much I can do with the smaller screens when using tables but at least now it’s possible to make sense of it on tablet and smaller screens. The new table plugin also allows searching, sorting and the ability to view more (or less) of or the entire list in a single view so this change is win-win.

As of this writing I have used tables in two places. Please check them out from the links below and let us know your thoughts.

Puppy Waiting List

English Creme Golden Retrievers vs American Golden Retrievers

Thank you for your patience while we do our best to make this site a better place to visit. If any of you find other pages that are just uncomfortable, please let us know!

Bryan

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Canine Hip / Elbow Dysplasia

Hip and Elbow Dysplasia is a common hereditary skeletal defect found in most large breed dogs (including Golden Retrievers) and giant breed dogs although it is occasionally found in smaller breeds. If affected your dog may experience discomfort (best case) or complete lack of use of one or more limbs (worse case). While not all dogs in the higher risk breeds are noticeably affected, most will experience some amount of it in their geriatric years. Dogs tend to be stoic and don’t show minor pain or discomfort typically but we at Texas TLC Goldens know from experience that it can be debilitating in the geriatric years. Of the many dogs we’ve owned, only one was noticeably affected (Aussie mix: Lexi) but it was a horrible experience and was eventually what ended her at 17 years, 7 months of age.

Disclaimer: We at Texas TLC Goldens are not veterinarians nor trained experts. The information contained in the article is based on our painful personal experience and extensive research. While be believe our words to be accurate, you should do your own research and consult your veterinarian for expert information.

What is Dysplasia?

Image result for image canine dysplasia Dysplasia is a malformation of the joints in the hips and elbows. It causes the joints to not fit as well as we wish causing excessive wear on the joint and triggers accelerated osteoarthritis. Hips are typically more affected since they support more weight but elbows can also be a problem. It is incredibly rare for a large or giant breed dog to have zero dysplasia so measuring the amount becomes a really important thing.

What are the symptoms?

Image result for image canine dysplasia It’s possible for puppies to start showing signs as young as 4 months old. It is more likely to appear in their older years as Osteoarthritis combines with Dysplasia to accelerate the condition. In extreme cases (like our Lexi in the last year of life), complete loss of the use of limbs is possible.

The pethealthnetwork.com lists these possible symptoms for the hips:

“Bunny-hopping” or swaying gait
Weakness in one or both hind legs
Pain when touched in hip or pelvis area
A change in behavior: reluctance to rise/difficulty rising, unwillingness to play or climb stairs, exercise intolerance, reduced activity levels
Audible clicking sound coming from hips while walking
Shrinking of hind leg muscles (atrophy)

What can I do?

Know the parents. There is no way to completely prevent the issue as the severity of the condition is almost always inherited from the parents. Knowing the parents is the single most important thing you can do to try and prevent issues but is not an absolute guarantee. The best bet to begin with is to choose responsible breeders that test and openly publish test results. Texas TLC Goldens policy is to never breed an Golden Retriever that is not rated OFA “Normal” or better on both hips and elbows ir if they are at or below the PennHIP mean score. We used OFA for Harley but has since been using PennHIP. Either is acceptable and depending on circumstances at the time, we might use either one but there are pro’s and con’s to both.

The industry standard test for canine hip and elbow dysplasia is administered by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and has been around for a very long time. It is reasonably accurate for dogs over 24 months old but is still subjective and is based on a single hip X-RAY, usually taken without anesthesia. There is instruction available for vets concerning taking OFA X-RAYS but I am unaware of any certification requirement as of this writing. The evaluation and grading of the X-RAYS themselves is performed by experts at OFA. You should look for results in both hips and elbows of “Normal”, “Good” or “Excellent” (note that “Excellent” is exceedingly rare based on the benchmark OFA uses). OFA will evaluate tests before the dog is 24 months old but will only certify the joint condition after 2 years old since that is the age where the dog is considered fully mature physically and because it is harder to visually view a puppy’s X-RAY and form an opinion.. OFA publishes the results online the ask the breeder for a link to the results so that you can verify. You can also search the parents in the OFA database based on name, AKC registration number and other criteria.

The PennHip tests cost us $500 per dog after much shopping around and is much more expensive than OFA testing but is also completely objective and more accurate. It is based on three different X-RAYS, taken under anesthesia by trained and certified Veterinarians and then actually measured for objectivity. PennHip claims accurate testing any time after 4 months of age but we recommend a minimum of 6 months old. PennHIP results are harder to interpret since they don’t use the fuzzy “Good, fair, normal, excellent” descriptions. They instead use a “Distraction Index” (DI) fraction to measure the “Tightness” of the joint and each hip gets it’s own score. A huge database has been kept for all tests over the years and accurate averages for each breed are known. Any score that is lower than the breed average is considered acceptable for breeding dogs. As of this writing, the average (mean) DI score for Golden Retrievers is .54.

There is no objective way to compare specific ratings between OFA and PennHIP since the tests are so very different and because of the margin for human error in OFA testing.

Figure 2 below came from a very good document written in 2009 by Simon Verge, DMV who was also a breeder. The thing to note in figure 2 is the WIDE disparity of DI Ranges compared to the OFA categories. The DI is objective while OFA is subjective. Both are valid, but PennHIPP is considered more accurate since it is an objective test using math and measurements. Note that Figure 2 compares tests for Burmese Mountain Dogs but that breed is VERY similar to the Golden Retriever as it relates to Hip Dysplasia.

Comparison of hip results for 143 Bermese Mountain Dogs over the age of 2 who all had both OFA and PennHIP testing done.
Courtesy www.hautbois.ca

Feed your puppy properly. Be sure to get a good quality commercial food that is specifically designed for large breed dogs. The correct food can regulate the puppy’s growth properly. Growing too fast or too large can dramatically affect the joints.

The American Kennel Club has this to say on the subject:

Slowing down these breeds’ growth allows their joints to develop without putting too much strain on them, helping to prevent problems down the line.

We feed our puppies Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Focus Dry Dog Food but it’s not the only choice out there. Do your own research but avoid home made diets, boutique foods, table scraps and fad foods (like grain free).

You should also control your dog’s weight for their entire life. An overweight dog puts substantially more stress on the joints. Golden Retrievers tend to overeat so you, as the human parent in control, should control this and feed a really good, healthy diet using good quality and scientifically proven commercial foods in the proper amounts. Most people apparently misunderstand what healthy weight actually looks like so consider reading the article I wrote on the subject.

Supplements like Glucosamine are safe, help slow progression and in some cases help recover active joint problems to some extent. If you use this supplement we suggest adding to to food to make regular usage simple. Some commercial dog food’s actually include this supplement. We started giving it to Lexi during the last 3 years of her life since her food at the time did not include it and she lived to 17 years, 7 months. This supplement does not guarantee no problems but it does seem to help somewhat.

Moderate certain physical activities while puppies grow. OK so this one is the hardest. Excessive running and hard turns on hard surfaces like concrete or tile floors or hard packed dirt cause repetitive impacts to the joints while growing and can affect how they fit in their older years. Also avoid excessive jumping, especially from heights for the same reason. These things are very hard to do with Golden Retrievers since they are so very energetic and excitable but do your best. If you must throw a ball for them as we do, try to make the throws short and on grass while they are young. Try to prevent your puppy from jumping off the back of the couch (yes, they will try to do this) or truck tailgates. Agility training is fun but hard on their joints. If you plan to do this before 2 years old, try to moderate the jumping and tight turns but frankly, that is VERY hard to do in this case. You get the picture I hope.. The goal here is to moderate the behavior, not stop all their (and your) fun.

Summary

Canine hip and elbow dysplasia is a thing and should be something you care about. The single biggest thing you can do to increase your chances of a good skeletal life for your new puppy is to KNOW THE PARENTS since genetics is the biggest contributor. Feeding a proper diet is very important. Supplements and moderating physical activities that can aggravate the problem can help. As always, consult your veterinarian.

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Harley has been bred!

Today (2019/1/25) at noon, Harley and Tucker had their first tie. This means she’s been bred!

They will do this again two more times over the next two days to help increase the chances of good fertilization and we should have her home by Sunday afternoon.

We are very excited but need to caution that while this is a very positive thing and step two in the process (heat, 3 ties, gestation, delivery, keep pups healthy for 2 months), there are still things that can go wrong so until we actually have puppies to send to their forever homes so there is no guarantee; we are however very giddy and optimistic!

We will confirm pregnancy in a few weeks but cannot get a puppy count estimate until after 55 days gestation.

IF everything goes fine, we should be looking for puppies at the end of March that are ready to go to their forever homes by the end of May. Keep your fingers crossed!!

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Dog Sitter / Kennel Advice

Now that you have a Golden Retriever, traveling for vacations or being away overnight may require a little more thought. If you have more than one Golden Retriever and a cat as we do, it requires a lot more thought. This is not however a bad thing. If you elect to not take them with you then the following may help you decide how they are cared for.

There are five options that we’ve researched and/or tried. See the bullets below for details.

Dog stays with friends/family.
- This can be the best option but not always. Your friends or family may not be used to dogs, be allergic to dogs, already have dogs that are not nice or don’t get along with others, not prepared to handle MORE dogs or not have current vaccinations for their dogs and other pets. They may not have proper fenced areas to let the dogs safely play and eliminate; the list goes on-and-on. The good thing about friends/family is that you KNOW them and should be able to TRUST them but be sure it’s a good safe place and that the humans are truly willing and able to be comfortable the extra pets and are physically able to safely handle them (energetic Goldens may not be a good option for an infirm 75 year old due to falling risk for example). Some friends/family will agree to do it even if they are not prepared or don’t really want to; this is not the best of scenarios. You should also evaluate how often that person will be home. If they work all day away from home that may or not be acceptable.
Dog sitters in your home
- Having strangers in your home when you are not present can be a little scary, so we suggest the following.
  - Use a bonded and insured sitter with good reviews. Don’t be a pioneer, let someone else be first. This person will be responsible for most of what you own along with your pets; don’t go cheap here. If you are in the San Antonio area we use Homey Hounds Pet Sitters and we’ve been very pleased with them thus far but do your own research.
  - Use a combination lock with a special combo for the sitter or re-key one lock in your home (easy to do with modern kwikset locks) then remove their access when you are home. The last thing you want is copies of permanent keys wandering around outside your control forever.
  - Meet and interview every human that will be in the home in advance and be clear that only those people are allowed inside. Also let your pets meet the sitters. You dogs are sometimes the best judge of character and it’s critical that your Goldens trust the sitter.
  - If your dog needs special care (medicines, heat, geriatric assistance, etc) make sure the sitter can demonstrate experience and willingness to do what is needed.
  - Carefully decide based on your dog’s needs how often they will visit and if they will stay overnight. Typically, you will need at least three visits per day if not staying overnight and the first visit should be quite early, and the last visit should be quite late.
  - Negotiate the length of their visits and assure they will also play with your dogs to keep them happy and give them exercise.
  - Assure your sitter has all your vet information and that your vet knows the dogs are being left home and with who.
  - For the most part, if you expect anyone else to visit while gone (family for example) try to prevent this. The sitter is also in a strange home and being alone with other strangers can be uncomfortable. Try to respect the sitter’s comfort.
  - You may want to install cameras in your home if that will make you feel better and can afford it. This should not be required but it can allow you to view your babies while gone. If you do this, be sure to advise the sitter of their presence.
  - Always keep your cell phone on and handy while gone and expect/demand communication.
- Advantages
  - The Fur Babies get to stay in familiar surroundings with comfy beds
  - No strange dogs around them upsetting them all day and night
  - No increased risk of communicable disease from other dogs.
  - The sitters serve as security of sorts since they will visit and show activity in the home. They usually report via email for every visit as well so you get constant updates.
  - Sitters also take care of your cats, feed your fish, etc. many are also willing to bring in the mail, newspaper and packages.
- Disadvantages
  - Can be more expensive, but not always. Our sitter does not charge more for extra pets and we have three Golden Retrievers and a cat in our home with more Goldens coming soon.
  - Visits only, not 24×7 supervision
  - Strangers alone in your home
Dogs stay at sitter’s home
- We consider this better than a kennel usually but research your sitter carefully.
  - The sitter should be at least insured for pet sitting
  - The sitter should be experienced and have many good reviews. Don’t be the first – leave that to someone else.
  - If there will be other animals, carefully evaluate what they are, their health/vaccinations and ability to get along with your dogs.
  - Some sitters keep cats, not dogs and others, dogs not cats. In any case, evaluate the combinations and if you have a cat this becomes even more important.
  - Tour the home and insure it will be a good place for your babies.
  - Interview the sitter. If you are in any way uncomfortable, leave.
Dogs stay in kennel/Doggie Hotel/etc
- This is our least favorite option. While it’s typically safe and some very few are comfortable, those are the exceptions. Typically, the sleeping quarters are concrete floored kennels surrounded by other dogs that bark all day and night. It’s scary for a Golden and can add stress. There is also the risk of disease and kennel cough in these environments. Kennels can be good for a quick few hours out or maybe a day or two in a pinch but be prepared.
  - Choose a kennel with many good reviews. Don’t be a pioneer.
  - A “puppy hotel” or “Doggie Resort” can be the exact same thing as a plain old kennel. A “Deluxe” kennel may be the same old cold concrete enclosure with 4 extra square feet and an old towel thrown in the floor. It’s entirely possible the accomodations are as good as you dream based on their descriptions but ignore the marketing and do your own research.
  - If they don’t ask for and require your dog’s health history and up-to-date vaccination records including kennel cough in the past 5 months, leave immediately.
  - Physically inspect the kennels and ask good questions about cleaning practices.
  - Be careful about kennels that insist on bathing your dog just before you pick them up. If they are doing that, there is typically a reason they need a bath.
  - We like the ones that “interview” your dog before admittance best. They are trying to assure your dogs (and every dog in the house) will get along with other dogs. Goldens will always pass the interview but the important bit is they interview ALL the dogs, not just yours. This is a preference, not a requirement
  - Tour not only the kennels but the play areas. Assure that your dog will be allowed out on safe natural ground on a regular basis to eliminate and play. Don’t make them do their business on concrete or in their kennel.
  - Try to get a kennel that also has a private outside “run” attached to the kennel so that your pooch can get onto natural ground and has room to move around when they want to.
  - Assure that the inside kennel has proper climate controls and is CLEAN.
  - We left our Goldens at one for a few hours during a funeral that had cameras that allowed us to view our dogs on our phones at anytime from anywhere – that was way cool.
  - Assure the kennel will allow you to provide your dog’s own bed and/or some towels that smell like home as well as a few toys.
Doggie Day Care
- This is where you will leave your Golden Retriever for just a few hours during the day or while at work. This is not a bad option but can be expensive if you have more than one dog. These operations typically have several to many dogs kept in the same room for the time you leave them there. There is the risk of some other dog that does not get along with others, so the daycare places the “interview your dog” before admittance are best here.
  - The center should REQUIRE up-to-date vaccinations including a kennel cough vaccine in the past 5 months.
  - A remotely viewable camera is ever-so-cool here but not required
  - Again, don’t be a pioneer here. Only use an established company with many great reviews.
  - The best daycare centers separate dogs into groups by size and temperament. This is typically not an issue for Golden Retrievers, but it does show care for the animals.
  - There should be at least one human in the room per 10 dogs always and “messes” should be properly cleaned up in real time.
  - Good pet sitters are cheerful and obviously love animals. If you do not get that vibe; leave.

Conclusion

The decision to leave your well-loved Golden Retriever behind with someone else for some number of days can be scary and for good reasons. Carefully research, investigate and qualify whomever will be watching your dog and the facilities they use. Think of this as getting away care for your infant child. Your fur baby is completely dependent on whomever keeps and cares for them. Unfortunately, there are some few dog sitters that do what they do because they cannot do anything else and that is not a good place to be. Some kennels struggle financially and cut corners. Some kennel employees are not dog lovers and remember, once you leave, they are no longer in your sight. This is not to say that kennels, doggie day cares, pet sitters are all bad; they are not; some are in fact, excellent. What I’m trying to say is that you should first think it through, then research, verify, then test, think it through again, then trust; in that order. You should be able to enjoy your time away without constant worry about your fur babies.

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Harley is in heat 1/13/2019!

Harley went into heat yesterday 1/13/2019. She was 7 weeks late but that is not all that uncommon, especially in winter.

We are very excited and IF all goes well we should have puppies in the spring, ready to go to their forever homes early summer 2019. We make no promises at this point since anything can happen between then and now but this is the first necessary step and we look forward to beautiful puppies!

If you are already on the waiting list, you can expect constant email updates as things progress. Facebook of course will get constant updates as we go and as major things happen, this blog will be updated. If you would like to receive notification of blog posts, be sure to subscribe at the bottom of any web age on this site but you should also be sure to watch for the confirmation email and act on it.

Sooo excited!

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Harley Update – January 2019

It appears that Harley may have skipped her latest heat or never really went far enough into heat for what was needed. While it is still possible she will go into heat in the next two weeks it is increasingly unlikely. We’ve been running tests on her saliva under the microscope every few days and we saw evidence of progesterone increasing until around a week ago when it started decreasing and today’s test was very light. The test used is referred to as a “Canine Fern” test that can be done with a dried saliva sample on a glass slide examined with a children’s microscope. This test basically gives indications of the amount of free progesterone in the dog’s system. It is not as accurate as a $200 blood test but it is free and when used over time it can clearly show trends and the current trend is saying her cycle is going away.

We know that Harley‘s family has zero history of problems with heats and she is completely healthy with a stellar diet and well cared for with tons of love and play time so we can only assume the issue is environmental. We even took Harley into our vet and they agree she’s fine. Historically her heats have been very noticeable and regular and we watched her closely starting the last week of October. We believe any combination of the following reasons are suspects:

We traveled with the dogs to Houston for a week in early October for Terri’s school work – the dogs love travel but the change is still stressful to them.
We received Emma in late October which included a drive to Houston and back to pick her up resulting in a new and excited 4 old puppy crawling all over Harley and River on the 4 hour trip home and often since. This happened a few weeks before Harley should have started her heat. Although Emma is now part of the family and they all get along really well, the new addition and the trip added stress for a while
We received Dexter in mid-November, just a week before Harley should have gone into heat – that added stress for a while
We had a ton of family over for Thanksgiving – that added stress for a day or two
It’s winter and the days are shorter – Heat cycles are affected by the amount of daylight
Mother Nature was just in a bad mood – it happens

We know this is bad news; we are unhappy about it as well. We have no reason to believe Harley will not go into proper heat in another 4 or 5 months with puppies ready to go home in late 2019 but for now, we just watch, wait, reduce stress on her and pray Mother Nature cooperates this time and hope for beautiful puppies in late 2019. We will certainly let you know if anything changes.

We also look forward to when Emma is ready to be a momma but that’s still 18 months out at least. For now she gets to just be a happy-go-lucky puppy.

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Potty Training Your Puppy

This subject is all over the web so I’ll not go over all the different methods of doing it; the key thing is to start early and be consistent. You should always be training; rewards should only be given when earned. Golden Retriever puppies from Texas TLC Goldens will have a head start as we plan to use artificial turf just outside their whelping box as well as a safe confined area in the back yard to give them safe places that simulate or actually are grass. Dogs don’t like eliminating near their food or where they sleep so once they are big enough to climb out of the box through the provided short opening (around 3 or 4 weeks old) they will start moving to the turf area to do their business. They will not be completely trained but they should have a head start when they go to their forever homes.

Notes before we start:

Your Golden Retriever puppy WILL have one or more accidents inside the house, guaranteed. It serves no useful purpose to scold them for this and frankly, is might be your fault (read on below). When this happens, clean it up quickly and thoroughly, especially if it happens on carpet. The smell will draw them back to that spot if you do not get it completely gone immediately. Be sure to use good clean water with soap on hard floors. On carpets sop it up with towels as much as possible then use one of the many sprays made for the purpose that include enzyme treatment, or preferably, shampoo the spot and then treat with enzymes.
No matter which method you choose to potty train, there is always one key component; you must pay attention 100% of the time. You must know what your Golden Retriever puppy is doing at all times until they are thoroughly potty trained, maybe even on a leash. Keep them in the same room you are in, pay attention and respond properly; you must be observant and respond properly in a very consistent fashion.
Training is at times, frustrating. Deal with it; you will be glad you did; it’s absolutely worth the effort.
The methods I supply below are not nearly the only ways to potty train your Golden Retriever; they are just the ways that we have used with good success. Do your own research, make a plan and act on your plan with consistency.

We’ve used two different methods for potty training that have been very successful. You can even combine both methods.

Puppy Pads

I don’t particularly LIKE this method since it typically takes longer than the manual method (below) and because I don’t particularly like cleaning up their messes on the pads constantly but it did work for us for three of our dogs years ago. It is also a good method to use if you cannot be right there with the puppy 100% of the time. It can also be used in conjunction with a specialized crate (see the YouTube video at the end of this article).

It’s best to use pads made for this purpose. Google them as there are many but proper pads will be waterproof on the bottom and come with an attractive scent that draws the pup to the pad.
Keep your puppy in a restricted area on hard floors with puppy pads placed away from their food and sleeping area. Place the puppy on the pad every time you think they might want to potty; praise them whenever they go on the pad; change the pads often. Never scold them for missing the pad but ALWAYS praise them when they succeed.
Once the puppy is addicted to going on the pad, start moving the pad closer to the back door then eventually out onto the porch then into the grass and continue to praise theme very time they are successful. Make sure the puppy continues to follow the pad wherever it goes.
This process can take weeks to a month or two but it does work. Once they get onto the grass, keep pads there for a week or two and encourage the puppy to go on the grass as much as possible including effusive praise every time they go on the grass. You can stop using the pads as soon as they get used to the grass.
Important note: once you move the pads outside it’s incredibly important that you watch the puppy closely. They will not know how to ask you to open the door and this is a critical transition time. If you see them standing at the door, they want to go outside. If you see them wanting to go potty in the house, immediately pick them up (they typically won’t have an accident while you carry them), take them outside and praise them when they eliminate in the proper place. If you miss them and they go in the house, just clean it up quickly and move on; it serves absolutely no purpose to scold them.

Potty Training by Hand

This has become our preferred method since I work from home and Terri is currently a full time student from home. We’ve found it to be quicker, less messy and much more effective than the puppy pad method but it requires a lot of work, close attention and consistency on your part. We used this method on our first two Golden Retrievers Harley and River and we have had two.. count them.. TWO accidents in the house since we first got them at 8 weeks old and they are over 2 years old now. The keys are vigilance, consistency, making it positive and thoroughly cleaning up accidents to prevent allowing the scent to draw them back to that spot. Believe us when we say it’s worth the effort.

The method is simple in design but work to execute. WATCH your puppy like a hawk and don’t let them wander off into other rooms (close those doors; they are sneaky little buggers). If you catch then in the act, try clapping your hands to surprise them a little and hopefully make them stop or if you spot them getting into “the stance” or carefully sniffing around the floor (you’ll learn to recognize it), immediately scoop them up cheerfully saying a key phrase like “go potty!” and carry them outside. Use the same phrase every time so that they can begin to learn that when they hear it, they should go outside and do their business. Don’t worry, they will almost never have accidents while you are carrying them. Take them to the specific place you want them to go and gently set them down, stand back, and watch. If they go, praise them when they are done. Be effusive and use consistent words that include her name like “Yes! Harley pottied outside! Good Harley, she pottied outside!” Note the key word “Yes”. If you are not using a clicker for training, always use a short, single syllable keyword that signified they did something good and always use it when they do ANYTHING good. Don’t say it over and over; once is much more effective. Also use the pup’s name, even if you only have one dog.

Note: If you do not have a fenced yard, take them out on a leash but give them time with plenty of free leash. Some puppies have to get over a “shy bladder” and may take a bit until they get used to it.

You should not just wait for the pup to show she needs to go. There are times that you will KNOW it’s needed. Generally a Golden Retriever can “hold it” for around one hour per month old up to around 6 to 10 months old once they learn that they SHOULD hold it. Also note that even when potty trained, male puppies may leave little dribbles on the floor when they get excited or play hard. This is normal and they will just grow out of it. You are looking for real puddles or piles, not tiny dribbles. Just clean the dribbles and move on.

Some examples of where you should proactively take the puppy outside:

Immediately on waking up from any of their many naps. Puppies usually want to relieve themselves right after any nap.
10 minutes after eating or drinking
Every 45 minutes when very young gradually moving out to longer and longer times. We actually set alarms on our phones so that we would not forget.
Just before YOU go to bed at night and at least once during the night, twice if they are very young. They will tend to “hold it” longer in the dark when they are asleep but don’t count on it. This is even true if you use a kennel at night. Their tiny bladders just don’t hold enough when they are young.

Teach Them to ASK to Go Out

So yeah, you’ve taught them that outside on the grass is the right place to go, but how do you know when they want to go out once trained? There needs to be some recognizable sign that they want to go out and it needs to be one you will notice, preferably with some sound. It could be a bark, a bell, scratching the door, pulling on your sleeve or some combination of these.

It is important you teach them to tell you when they want to go out or all your training will be for naught. We suggest you start this training at the same time you are potty training them. This training is not all that difficult. You can simply put a treasured toy (or a treasured human) outside a glass door and encourage them to get it. You may need to assist them a few times so that they will get the idea. Once they do the desired action, let them outside with effusive praise. Do this every day, every time until they start doing it consistently on their own.

A bell is easiest since you can have them ring the bell with their nose (even if in your arms) EVERY time they go out. The challenge with the bell is you need to have one at every door and you will not likely have a bell with you when you take them other places so you should also teach other methods as well.

If a bark is your desired method, first teach them to “speak” using any of the thousands of methods available via Google then have them “speak” every time before the door is opened. The upside of the bark method is they will always have it with them. the downside is… they will bark which can be loud and annoying.

Scratching the door is effective and usually audible enough but that means they will potentially leave marks and/or dirt on your doors. No method is perfect for everyone so choose your method(s) and TRAIN it.

Yes, a doggie door is nice and can save you many, many trips to the door but understand you will not have a doggie door with you when you travel.

Difficult Case – Real Life Example

We received our beautiful Emma in early October 2018 at 4 months of age. Apparently she was unintentionally TRAINED to do her business on concrete or other hard surfaces before she arrived in Texas. We can only assume that she was housed in a kennel with a concrete floor during her first 4 months of life in Europe, and learned (essentially was trained) that going on hard surfaces was the thing to do. When we first got her she had over 8 “accidents” in the house every single day including overnight. The only saving grace was that she never went on the carpet; only on our hard floors. It was frustrating and required a LOT of careful attention but we caught her doing it maybe half the time initially and immediately scooped her up, carried her outside directly to the grass and followed the method described above, occasionally offering treats along with the praise for a job well done.. After around 10 days she was making it though the night without an accident and has maybe one event in the house during the day every two days. After 3 weeks we had her fully trained (we thought). She rang the bell we mounted for the purpose to go out and was consistently making it through the night. This lasted for over two weeks and we thought we were done, then we went on a week long holiday trip to two different relatives homes 200 miles away. The first thing she did was pee in my brothers tile floor, twice in the same day, in the same spot, even though we took her outside plenty. After a day of working we were able to convince her that my brothers back yard was also a good place to go then she did fine. Apparently she originally accepted that OUR back yard was a good place to go but a NEW place had to be trained. Eventually we hope that she just accepts that GRASS is a good place to go, not just the location. She is a work in progress but our beautiful girl is worth it.

Interesting Idea

The following video is a blatant advertisement for the training crate they are selling but it also give a LOT of good ideas and advice; is worth the short viewing. We don’t use crates at Texas TLC Goldens but they are absolutely a valid choice for many. It’s possible this specific crate will be right for you but we’ll leave that choice to you with no recommendation either way. It could also be used in conjunction with the “Puppy Pads” method I described at the top of this article. It is very similar in nature to how we plan to get the puppies started on their training at around 3 or 4 weeks old.

Final Comments

Yes potty training can be hard and not an exact science but it WORKS. The potential difficulty can also speak to finding a breeder that does not house their puppies in fixed kennels with floors that resemble your house floors. We at Texas TLC Goldens plan to provide turf areas where the new puppies can start to go on (usually starting at about 3 weeks old). We will also take them outside to a safe 8’x12′ fenced off area inside our yard to let them experience real grass. While this will not completely train the pup, it should make your lives MUCH easier.

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